University Medical Center: No documents on audit

BRITTANY HOOVER

Thursday

Dec 29, 2011 at 1:29 PM

University Medical Center officials released Greg Bruce's resignation letter, but little else, to The Avalanche-Journal on Thursday.

The A-J has filed multiple open records requests with UMC for information regarding an internal audit that discovered possible employee embezzlement and resulted in the resignation of Bruce, vice president of corporate services.

Kristi Ward, associate general counsel for UMC, provided The A-J with Bruce's resignation letter in response to a request.

The letter states only, "I hereby resign from UMC Health System, effective immediately." It is dated Dec. 22 and is addressed to President and CEO David Allison and signed by Bruce.

In the same request, The A-J also asked for the audit in which possible employee embezzlement was discovered. Ward's reply was, "No document exists responsive to your request."

Ward said The A-J's request for any emails, documents or memos pertaining to the audit and the resignation of Bruce is still being reviewed. She said she believes UMC will seek a ruling from the Texas attorney general on whether to release the documents.

UMC has until Jan. 11 to ask the attorney general for an open records ruling.

On Tuesday, UMC announced possible employee embezzlement was discovered during an internal audit. As a result of the audit, Bruce resigned, according to the statement from UMC.

When reached by phone Thursday, Bruce again declined to comment, as he had done previously.

Also Thursday, Eric Finley, a UMC spokesman, said Allison, the hospital's top administrator, continues to decline comment on the situation. Finley said UMC is cooperating with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office in the investigation, and UMC personnel have been instructed not to comment.

"We would like to say more," Finley said. "When people at UMC met with members of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office earlier in the week, they asked us to not say anything going forward. We would like to meet with them again and see at what point we can divulge more and talk more."

Finley said he is unaware of whether or not these meetings already have taken place.

Lois Wischkaemper, senior vice president and general counsel at UMC, also said UMC cannot comment about the investigation until it is complete.

Special agent Lydia Maese, media coordinator at the FBI office in Dallas, said the FBI cannot comment about the situation.

Calls to Kathy Colvin, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas, were not returned Thursday.

According to UMC's website, in 2007, taxes as a percentage of UMC's operating budget were 4.6 percent. In 2006, UMC provided in excess of $52 million in total unreimbursed health care, and it remains totally debt free.

The Lubbock County Commissioners Court appoints UMC's board of managers and approves the budget and tax rate for the hospital district.

Finley provided a list of eight board members he said served during 2011.

Board member David Wilkerson said he was told to direct all questions to UMC communications.

"He's a real nice guy," Wilkerson said of Bruce. "I like him a lot. I can't comment beyond that."

Linda Greenstreet, also a board member, said she's known Bruce for about 20 years because she worked at the hospital before serving on the board.

"I've worked with him since he was a (health unit coordinator), and he has always been the nicest person and a dear friend," she said. "If what has happened is true, I'm very sad because he's always been such a special person."

Greenstreet had not noticed anything unusual the last time she saw Bruce, she said.

"As I know, he's always been a real hard worker and just an upstanding citizen," she said. "I don't understand what's happened, but I know him as a nice, kind, hardworking person."

Bruce has not posted to his Facebook page since he posted "What's up with all the cars at the mall? It looks like Christmas or something" on Dec. 17. He updated his Facebook status every day or two days throughout December until then.

Bruce's Twitter page has not been updated since Dec. 16 when he tweeted a photo and said "@umchealthsystem employees enjoying annual Christmas reception. Thanks for making UMC the best place to work in TX."

Throughout December, he tweeted at least once a week, and often multiple times a day.

UMC board members Cory Newsom, Jamey Phillips, Marc McDougal and Steven Berk were out of their offices Thursday and unable to return phone calls. Calls to board members Noe Valles and Cynthia Whitehead were not returned immediately Thursday afternoon.

The health system employs more than 2,600 people with an annual payroll of $133.2 million, the website states.

In 2006, Bruce's salary as corporate affairs vice president at UMC was listed as $161,000.

The A-J has requested information about Bruce's current salary, previous salaries and any bonuses he has received while at UMC.

To comment on this story:

brittany.hoover@lubbockonline.com • 766-8722

leesha.faulkner@lubbockonline.com • 766-8706

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.